Detachable shoulder support for undergarments



March 17, 1936. I H, VAN HOLLEN 2,033,961

DETACHABLE SHOULDER SUPPORT FOR UNDERGARMENTS Original Filed Oct. 15, 1931 Patented Mar. 17, 1936 PATENT OFFICE DETAGH'ABLE SHOULDER SUPPORT FOR UNDERGARMIEN TS Hellen Van Hollen, Buffalo, N. Y.

Application October 15, 1931', Serial-N0. 568,909 Renewed May 1, 1935 8 Claims.

This invention relates generally to garment fasteners and particularly to a detachable shoulder support for undergarments.

One of its objects is to-provide a shoulder strap or supporter having means for detachably connecting. it to a plurality of undergarments, thereby eliminating the-use of a strap for each garment, and facilitating the laundering of the straps independently of the garments.

Another object isthe provision of ashoulder strap of this character wherein the strap and garments are provided with complementary fastening elements so designed and constructed as to render the application and removal of the strap to and from the garments an instantaneous and. comparatively simple and convenient operation, as well as to prevent accidental uncoupling of' the fastening elements.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a detachable shoulder strap for supporting a plurality of garments which is simple, compact and inexpensive in construction, which affords comfort to the wearer, and which is provided with means overlying the fastening elements of the strap and the garments so that the-same will not touch the skin of the wearer.

Inthe accompanying drawing:

Figure 1- is a front view of my improved shoulder strap or support showing the same in use on the wearer. Figure 2' is an enlarged transverse section taken in the plane of line 2-2, Figure 1, showing the strap connected at one end to the garments and disconnected at its opposite end. Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional elevation showing the complementary fastening elements on the strap and the garments. Figure 4 is a perspective View of the attaching end of the strap and its overlying tab or extension. Figure 5 is a transverse section taken substantially in the plane of line 55, Figure 3. Figure 6 is a detached perspective view of the shoulder strap fastening element. Figure 7 is a perspective view of the garment fastener or coupling element.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in Figures 1-7, inclusive, indicates the shoulder straps which may be made of ribbon or other appropriate material, and which are provided at their opposite ends with fasteners or coupling elements constructed to support a plurality of undergarments at their front and rear sides. By way of example, as seen in Figures 1 and 2, I have shown each shoulder strap as supporting two garments, an inner garment 2| and an outer garment 22,. each garment. being provided at its upper edge and. in. line with the respective shoulder straps with coupling elements. preferably in theform of eyes 23 which may be sewed or other- 5 wise secured to the garments in the manner depicted, in Figures 1 and 3. These eyes are so positioned. on the garments that they register with each other in the worn position of the garments.

At each end the shoulder strap 20 is provided 10 with a fastening means or coupling element for detachably connecting it to the garment eyes 23 and each of these coupling elements preferably consists of. a plate or body portion 2%, which may be finished to constitute an article of jewelry, 15 and a hook-like portion 25 formed integral with the body and extending upwardly at the rear sidethereof, as seen in Figure. 3. The hook 25 is adapted to. be detachably engaged with the registering eyes 23. of the. garments in the manner shown in Figures 2 and 3. The fastener or coupling element .24. is preferably detachably connected tov the. strap 26 so that. the same can be readily removed therefrom when it is desired to launder the. strap. For this purpose, I provide the body of the fastener with upper and lower transverse slots or' openings 26 and 2?, respectively, while the attaching end of the shoulder strap is provided with a bar 28 having projectionslfl. at its ends which project beyond the side. edges of the strapv to interlock with its fastener 24, the width of said coupling element or bar .being greater than that of the body-slots. In attaching the fastening element 2 2 to the shoulder strap, the latter with its bar 28 is first 35 threaded forwardly through the slot 26 and then rearwardly through the slot 27 to the position shown in Figure 3. In this position, the barbearing. portion of the strap is locked behind the opening 21 of the fastening element 24 and acci- 40 dental displacement thereof is effectually prevented. In threading the bar portion of the shoulder strap through the body-openings 26 and El, it is necessary to insert the same therethrough at a slight angle, due to the relative length of. the bar extensions 29.

To prevent the complementary fasteners 23 and 24 contacting with the skin of the wearer, I preferably provide the strap 20 with an extension or protecting tab- 36 which may be made 50 of the same material as the shoulder strap and which may be formed in one piece therewith or be made separate therefrom and stitched thereto, as shown in Figure 4. This tab or extension 30 overlies the rear side of the strap fastener 24 55 and its hook 25 and extends a suitable distance below the same. At its lower end this tab is provided on its front side with a fastener 3| and the innermost garment 2| is provided on its rear side with a complementary fastener 32, such complementary fastener, by preference, being applied to or formed integrally with the garmenteye 23. In the example shown in the drawing, the fastening elements 3|, 32 are in the form of a glove or snap fastener. The tab 30 with its fastener not only constitutes a protective covering for the fasteners of the shoulder strap and garment by preventing such fasteners from contacting with the wearers skin, but it also serves as an initial or preliminary means for positioning the strap on the shoulder of the wearer by connecting the innermost garment 2| thereto through the medium of the fasteners 3|, 32. When this has been accomplished, the hook portions 25 of the shoulder strap fastener can be readily and conveniently connected with the corresponding eyes 23 on the garments.

I claim as my invention:--

1. A shoulder support for undergarments, comprising a strap having securely fastened at an end thereof a rigid attaching portion having laterally-extending coupling elements thereon, and a separable fastening element having means for detachably receiving the coupling elements of said strap attaching portion and separate means for connecting it to one or more garments, said strap-attaching portion lying fiatwise against the rear side of said fastening element in the operative position of the parts.

2. A shoulder support for undergarments, comprising a strap provided at an end thereof with a rigid attaching portion having laterally-extending coupling elements thereon, and a separable fastening element consisting of a body having an opening therein with which said coupling elements detachably interlock said opening being of a dimension whereby the strap-attaching portion and its coupling elements may be bodily inserted and removed therethrough by proper manipulation and a hook-like portion projecting from said body for detachably connecting it to one or more garments.

3. A shoulder support for undergarments, comprising a strap provided at an end thereof with an attaching portion consisting of a cross bar projecting at its ends beyond the side edges of the strap, and a separable garment fastening element having individual means for suspending a garment therefrom and an opening for detachably receiving the cross bar of said strap, said opening being substantially the width of the strap and the end portions of the bar locking behind the corresponding edges of the opening.

4. A supporter for undergarments, comprising a shoulder strap provided at each end thereof with a coupling element having portions extending beyond the side edges of the strap, and a garment-engaging fastener detachably connected to each end of the strap and having an opening through which said coupling element may be inserted and removed and with which it interlocks, the extending portions of said coupling-element overlying the marginal side edges of said fastener-opening and said coupling element being insertable through said opening to interlock it with or remove it from said fastener by displacing the element angularly and edgewise relatively to such fastener and its opening.

5. A shoulder support for garments, comprising a strap provided at one end with a rigid coupling bar having lateral extensions, a detachable fastening element having superposed slots therein through which the strap-end is adapted to be threaded and with the lower one of which said coupling-bar extensions are adapted to interlock, the dimensions of said slots being such as to permit the insertion and removal of the coupling bar through them by proper manipulation, means projecting from said fastener for suspending one or more garments therefrom, and a tab applied to the end of said strap in pendant overlying relation to its rear face and extending below the garment-engaging means of said fastening element, the exposed lower portion of said tab having a fastener thereon for connecting it to the innermost garment.

6. The combination with a shoulder strap for undergarments having a substantially flat, narrow rigid attaching portion securely fastened to a free end thereof and having projections extending beyond the side edges of the strap, of a detachable fastener consisting of a plate-like element having means for detachably connecting it to a garment, said fastener having a transverse opening therein of such dimensions to insert and remove the strap-attaching portion, the projections on the latter interlocking behind the side edges of said opening in the assembled position of the parts.

7. The combination with a shoulder strap for undergarments having a coupling element securely fastened to an end thereof, of a detachable fastener consisting of a plate-like element having superposed slots therein for receiving the coupling end of the strap in threaded engagement therewith and having means thereon for detachably connecting it to a garment, the dimensions of said slots being such that said coupling element may be inserted and removed therefrom, the coupling element being longer than the slots to interlock behind the side edges of one of said slots.

8. The combination with a garment-supporting shoulder strap having a substantially rigid coupling element fastened to an end thereof, of a garment-engaging fastener detachably connected to the strap and having an opening through which said coupling element may be inserted and removed and with which it interlocks, the coupling element being somewhat longer than the fastener-opening to overlie the marginal .side edges of the latter and being insertable through said opening to interlock it with or remove it from said fastener by displacing the element angularly and edgewise relatively to such fastener and its opening.

HELLEN VAN HOLLEN. 

